Key facts
- 124 environmental and land defenders were murdered globally in 2025, averaging one every three days.
- Organized crime and professional killers were linked to over a third of the killings.
- Latin America accounted for 85% of the deaths, with Colombia (39) and Brazil (26) being the most affected.
- The Philippines reported 12 killings, many during crackdowns by state security forces.
- Nearly three-quarters of those killed in 2025 were Indigenous people and small-scale farmers.
- Since 2012, 2,375 defenders have been killed or disappeared.
Environmental and land defenders were murdered at a rate of one every three days in 2025, prompting many communities to establish self-defense units, according to the latest annual death toll by the independent watchdog Global Witness. Organized crime groups or professional killers were implicated in more than a third of the 124 killings of defenders last year, as narco-trafficking activities overlapped with intrusions into indigenous territories and environmental crime, such as illegal logging and wildcat gold mining.
Latin America accounted for 85% of last year’s deaths of people trying to protect forests, rivers and other ecosystems. Colombia had the highest toll with 39 killings, followed by Brazil with 26 and Honduras with 12. In Asia, the most dangerous country for defenders was the Philippines, with 12 killings – many during crackdowns by state security forces.
Since Global Witness began compiling statistics in 2012, the overall global tally is now 2,375 deaths and disappearances. The report authors note that the headline figure has declined over the last two years, from 196 in 2023 and 142 in 2024, but this is likely an underestimate due to data collection difficulties in war zones and authoritarian regimes.
Many countries and companies are also carrying out non-lethal attacks on defenders, including criminalisation and online smear campaigns. Many defenders are now exposed to more organised crime with less assistance from the international community, partly as a result of cuts by the Trump administration. The report states that the dismantling of USAID, which previously supported initiatives for Indigenous peoples to steward their own land, has had particularly serious implications for defenders.
Almost three-quarters of the killings documented in 2025 were of Indigenous people and small-scale farmers targeted for defending their land. With less outside help, an increasing number of these communities are establishing their own territorial defence mechanisms. The report highlights the example of the Kakataibo Indigenous Guard in the Peruvian Amazon, which has grown to over 150 volunteers in 10 bases since 2022, following the killing of six of its leaders since 2020. Segundo Ispón, commander of the organisation, stated that defending territory is taught from an early age but is now more dangerous than ever.